Taking New Year Inventory of Your Homeschool

There’s something about the New Year that makes you want to reevaluate your entire life:  Your relationships.  Your priorities.  Your diet.  Your checkbook.  Your sock drawer.

 

 

But what about your homeschool?  While I realize January isn’t the start of the school year for most homeschoolers, I still think it’s a great time to do some evaluation when it comes to your homeschool.  For many, January falls about mid-year, and that can actually be a good time to take a long, hard look at how things are going.

What’s working?  What isn’t?  Are there products I need to buy?  Are there things I need to pitch?  Doing a little homeschool inventory in the first month of 2016 may be the perfect thing to help bring about a successful end to your school year.

Not sure where to start?  Here is a basic list of questions to ask yourself as you take inventory of your homeschool:

 

How are our curriculum choices for this year working out?

While I really don’t believe it’s curriculum that ultimately makes or breaks a homeschool, I know from experience the stress and dissatisfaction a poor curriculum choice can bring to the educating process.  A lot of things can contribute to problems in your homeschool, but don’t be so devoted to a certain curriculum company that you aren’t willing to make changes for what is best for your child.

 

If there are problems with the curriculum, is an immediate change in order?  Is it feasible?

If you determine a change in curriculum or approach is a good idea, you need to decide if the change should happen now or if it could be put off until later.  If you can wait, make notes for yourself for next year.  Sometimes the change has to wait, keeping in mind family finances and schedules, which can play a big role in the way people homeschool and the curricula they use.

 

Could supplemental materials be helpful?

Do you need a different curriculum, or are there just a few gaps in learning you would like to fill?  It may be that all you need are some flashcards, a few extra books, some online help, or a new app for your tablet.

 

Are there books I need?

Do you read aloud to your children?  Are there particular books you want them to read on their own?  Are there reference books you need or favorite books you just want to add to the family library?  If you haven’t done this already, now may be a good time to list the books you need for the rest of the school year, and then determine which books you can borrow from your local library and which you need to purchase.

 

Are there other resources I need?

Maybe you need a new wall map, timers for math practice, or a model of the solar system.  We don’t always know all the things we’ll need at the start of the school year, so a mid-year trip to the teacher-supply store might be in order!

 

What supplies do I need?

While I try to take advantage of back-to-school sales in the late summer and early fall, sometimes I don’t buy quite enough and have to restock mid-year.  Now is a good time to take inventory of all the homeschooling necessities like paper, folders, pencils, erasers, pens, paint, glue, and other art supplies.  Also check out your printer paper and ink supply.

 

Are my school records in order?

I usually use some of my Christmas break for catching up on grading and record-keeping.  Making sure everything is up to date now can save you a lot of time and stress at the year’s end.  How much or how little you should be doing will depend of course on the state you live in and the homeschooling regulations there, but now is an ideal time to check and ensure you have everything in order and make updates where necessary. (For accurate information about the homeschool laws and requirements in your state, check with the Home School Legal Defense Assocation.)

 

Are there record-keeping materials that could be helpful to me?

Has your planner become a disaster area?  Maybe you just need to buy a new one.  Do you need a new calendar for school use only?  Maybe it’s time to finally set up that computer spreadsheet for recording grades.

 

What projects do I want to do in the remaining school year?

Now is a good time to flip through your planner or your children’s school books and determine what projects and experiments you’ll want to do in the remainder of the year.  Check now for the necessary supplies.

 

Are there field trips I would like to take?

Perhaps you can plan some of these to coincide with subjects you’ll be studying.  Planning field trips now will help keep you from getting too busy for them later on.  This is also a good time to search out local programs and activities you may not have known or thought about at the start of the school year.  For example, in my area there are several museums that offer $5 admission the entire month of February.  Since these are museums that typically cost 2 to 3 times that, I always try to fit in a visit to at least one of them, whether it seems to go along with our current studies or not!

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So in the midst of reevaluating the family diet and your messy sock drawer, try to take a little New Year inventory of your homeschool, too.  Just as pre-planning can make for a smooth start to the homeschool year, mid-planning can make for a smooth end to it!

 

Do you ever make mid-year adjustments to your homeschool?  How do you take inventory of your homeschooling efforts throughout the school year?